Free
My Search for Meaning: A Powerful True Story of Survival, Redemption, and Reclaiming a Life
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- £8.49
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- £8.49
Publisher Description
'Thoughtful and well-informed' London Review of Books
'A fluent writer with a flair for vivid and entertaining prose' Guardian
'Free is not just a literary retelling of a life. It's an easy and enjoyable read' The Times
'An account of extraordinary grace. Despite the trauma of the trials, imprisonment, of a life hounded by the press, Knox finds purpose in writing and in connecting with other exonerees and women whose lives have been derailed by the court of public opinion' London Standard
'Free is an achievement that moves beyond questions of innocence or guilt - an accomplished book by a woman who has been shaped by events but not destroyed by them' Sunday Independent
Amanda Knox reflects on her world famous confinement in an Italian prison - and her return to an 'ordinary' life - to reveal hard won truths about purpose and fulfilment that will resonate with anyone who has felt trapped in their own circumstances.
Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn't commit - and became a notorious tabloid story in the process. Though she was exonerated, it's taken more than a decade for her to reclaim her identity and truly feel free.
Free recounts how Amanda survived prison, the mistakes she made and misadventures she had reintegrating into society, culminating in the untold story of her return to Italy and the extraordinary relationship she's built with the man who sent her to prison. It is the gripping saga of what happens when you become the definition of notorious, but have quietly returned to the matters of a normal life - seeking a life partner, finding a job, or even just going out in public.
In harrowing (and sometimes hilarious) detail, Amanda tells the story of her personal growth and hard‑fought wisdom, recasting her public reckoning as a private reflection on the search for meaning and purpose that will speak to everyone persevering through hardship.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Knox follows up Waiting to Be Heard with a stirring account of the years after her ordeal with the Italian justice system. In 2007, Knox was falsely accused of the murder of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student with whom she'd shared a cottage in Perugia. DNA evidence eventually identified a burglar as Kercher's rapist and killer, but not before police pressured Knox into implicating herself, leading to her arrest and incarceration. After she was exonerated in 2011 and released from prison, Knox "stumbled a lot trying to reintegrate in the world" before realizing that "being alone in pain was a choice I'd made, one that society had encouraged me in—but it had been my choice nonetheless." She writes of finding support and meaning by connecting with other publicly vilified women, including Monica Lewinsky, and marrying, becoming a mother, and pursuing a career in journalism and criminal justice reform. Along the way, Knox is frank about her self-doubts ("I continue to ask myself if I am getting anywhere"), offering a diaristic account of her triumphs and setbacks rather than prescriptive advice for life after trauma. The result is a moving testament to resiliency.
Customer Reviews
a remarkable person in a mad world
Amanda is a Warrior Princess. it's not at all difficult to believe her. It is actually quite easy. I had already read her first book years ago. One has to be quite dumb to believe all the far fetched trash. And insane to create it, as it was done by these grotesque
people, her prosecutor and jailers.
Even the Kercher family, I just don't get. Why the lack of sympathy for Amanda? She was just a young student herself caught up in the madhouse we call "society".
And that Mignini.....what a pathetic, little worm. I have no idea how one can inflict all that harm to someone and her family, and sleep at night.
As an Italian myself, I must say I am ashamed of my country....so much incompetence and mediocrity, the examples of that are the comandante Argiro' and his colleagues, these poor sods just go through life hating their jobs and giving shrugs. It is to be expected, from mediocrities and ignorant people such as them.
I wish all the best to Amanda and the people she cares about.